Not a blogger

If I didn't already know it, I now realize I am not a blogger. I have taken 3500 pictures so far (with two weeks left) and have had just as many, if not more, thoughts, but on top of everything else, finding the energy and time to edit and organize the blog I'd like has proven too easy to avoid.

I have one more post, on turf paths, and then I will put my final photographs up sometime during my last week.

I wish that you, whoever is reading this, could come to visit me in the garden before I leave!

Progress: Slow but sure

This garden is so big, I am so small, and progress has been slow and sometimes slightly discouraging. Nevertheless, the season is picking up and so is the pace of our work. Sure, the weeds are growing faster by the day, and I daresay multiplying as well, but so are the flower buds and vegetable seedlings. I find great joy in that.

I am so lucky to have the help of two exceptional WWOOFers, Maria, an American ex-pat who is now living and working in France in her own fight for the future of food, and Zoe, from Valencia, who is on school holiday from her post teaching secondary school Spanish in nearby Friville. Maria demonstrates what I consider to be some of the best of American characteristics; she is confident, ambitious, creative, active, capable, open, and goal-oriented. In her former life she was a successful businesswoman; her drive and encouragement are just what we needed! I consider her my "project manager," a role she fills with aplomb. Zoe is intelligent and thoughtful, and besides, a very willing and capable worker. She is proving to be a very valuable assistant. I appreciate her very much. The help and support from them both encourages me in my project.

NB These pictures need to be re-ordered, but I'm about to leave on a week's vacation, and I wanted to get them up before I leave. So I will put them in a more logical, interesting order when I get back!

Potager planning

Out of the hail

Maria's car (shipped from USA!)

Zoe's car

This view catches my eye every day

Aucuba echoes the mustard fields beyond

Our path to the dovecote!

Seed sowing

Can't resist photographing the tulips

Looking forward to strawberries

Views beyond

Slow progress in the potager

Lemon sorrel and columbine

Lovage

Rhubarb

Interesting stump

Pascal in the buttercups

Young spinach

Lilacs!

Horse chestnut!

The lilac walk is growing weedy, but I love the buttercup blossoms

Add caption

Into the garden

Tree peony

Grape vines

This week's reading

Click! Arabella Lennox-Boyd: DESIGNING GARDENS

One of my favorite landscape architects explains her design philosophy and describes some of her most notable projects.

Easter Greetings

I hurt my back so I haven't been working hard on my projects. I am recuperating, though, and the soil is warming up, so I look forward to being back in the garden digging, pulling, carrying, crouching, reaching, dragging, and pushing again soon. Today is my halfway mark, and I look forward to the speed of things to come.

Please enjoy these pictures of spring in the garden in Sacy, and accept my Easter Greetings.

La maison bleu, mustard fields

View from my window

Path study

Cutting the grass

Last of the cherry blossom

Apple blossom and rhubarb

Asparagus!

Euphorbia!

Tulips!

Planting cabbages

The cabbages were planted out on Wednesday, just before the storms. I used an old-fashioned technique recommend by Val Bourne in The Telegraph called "puddling-in;" Young cabbages (and, I assume, other similar brassicas) may benefit from being planting into a deep hole filled with water.

I gathered some compost, spread a small heap at the spot of each planting and dug it in with my trowel to a depth of one foot (the soil is quite rich and has ideal structure so I only had to stir in the extra compost to benefit the young cabbages.)

I dug a hole deep enough to drop each plant to just below its bottom leaves. Cabbages benefit from being planted as deeply as possible. I even removed the bottom few leaves before planting so I could plant a little deeper. The plants were raised in my nursery here at Sacy, in a mix of our own compost and our own garden soil, and some builders sand from the works down the road. They should be quite at home in the potager.

I filled the holes with water, which reminded me of making mud swimming pools in the garden for fairies and elves (and my very visible turtles) when I was little. Into each muddy puddle-- plop!-- goes a seedling, up to just below its bottom leaves. Hurrah! I gently smooth the earth at the base. The cabbages will be very happy in their new home!

The young plants. Potted up 2 weeks ago.

A load of compost

Stirring it in

Time to go in!

I had lined the pot with molded leaves

Cabbage swimming pool

Puddling in

One planted

Just repeat